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Heroes of Everyday 2014 No. 03 - the way home phone

Frances and Annabell give women a safe feeling at night on the way home
Photo: Frances Photography

The big action of "at a glance"

A great project: how Frances and Anabell bring women home safely at night!

Alone on the way home at night? Frances Berger (31) and Anabell Schuchhardt (29), like many other young women, know the queasy feeling. Against the fear in the dark, there is now help: The new "home-away-phone" by Frances and Anabell. Your promise: We bring you home safely!

The idea came to them through a similar model in Sweden. There has been a number for four years that can be called at night. "We were wondering why such a thing does not exist in Germany, " says Frances, who works as a management consultant.

The home phone can be reached throughout Germany

Instead of thinking long, the girlfriends grab it and get a free call center software. "So we can talk to the callers on the computer via a headset. It does not matter if they come from Berlin, Hamburg or Munich, "explains Frances. Since the end of December, the number 030/12 07 41 82 is now available throughout Germany for the fixed-network tariff.

The two guardian angels are beating each other's ears. Frances from Berlin, Anabell recently from Heidenheim, where she works as Managing Director of a back center. On Fridays and Saturdays, everyone can call and be accompanied between 10pm and 2am.

Men also call

It can take up to 20 minutes to make such a conversation, but it never gets boring: "The girls call us location and destination, we track it online via a map and if something happens, we can call the police directly, " says Frances. "You really talk about everything. From sailing, travel tips, cooking, parties and women's problems.

Sometimes men call, we think that's good. Once, one of me was accompanied by me for 45 minutes and did not want to hang up. Then came out: He wanted a date - but that does not exist with us, "she smiles.

Thank God, nothing has ever happened. "But knowing that you're not traveling alone makes you stronger and more self-confident, " Frances knows from experience. "For twelve years, I call my mom when I go home in the dark, and that gives me security."

Volunteers wanted

Now the project is to be further developed. Anabell: "We would like to extend the time span, be accessible throughout the week and need volunteers throughout Germany who would like to make phone calls." The time span in which they can be reached should also be extended.

And something else they want to achieve in the near future: A free 0800 number, because so many are deterred by the Berlin area code. "But we are really happy about every caller and not just about Berlin", emphasize the two.

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